Another BigLaw firm mandates 4 days per week in office but adopts remote 'bank'
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Davis Polk & Wardwell will require its lawyers and most business professionals to be in the office four days per week—one day more than its current policy.
The law firm will implement a Monday through Thursday in-office schedule after Labor Day, report Law.com, Bloomberg Law and Above the Law. Currently, the firm requires in-office work Tuesday through Thursday.
Davis Polk announced its policy within weeks of a decision to require four-day-per-week attendance by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
“The burning question of the summer was whether other firms would follow Skadden’s move,” according to Above the Law. “Davis Polk seems convinced that Skadden’s forging a new consensus.”
Davis Polk is making some exceptions, allowing remote work for employees whose positions allow for it on Thanksgiving week, the last week of December and the last two weeks of August, according to Above the Law.
Davis Polk is also introducing a remote day “bank” that lets lawyers choose 16 days per year to work remotely. For 2023, lawyers will get a bank of five remote work days.
The “key driver” of the in-office policy “is a desire to provide all members of our community with best-in-class professional development opportunities,” said Neil Barr, managing partner at Davis Polk, in his internal announcement.
